New sentencing guidelines are to be put forward to Parliament which will allow courts to impose much stiffer sentences for those found guilty of dangerous & careless driving offences.

Following a recent public consultation, the Ministry of Justice has announced new sentencing guidelines which will include possible life sentences for causing death by dangerous driving, along with a new offence, causing serious injury by careless driving. This will become law as soon as parliamentary time can be found for the necessary legislation.

The new proposals are aimed at the worst cases of dangerous driving such as; driving under the influence of drink or drugs, street racing and mobile phone use. The intended plans are to classify them as equivalent to manslaughter with the maximum penalty increasing from 14 years to a life sentence.

Statistically those who spend more time on the road are more likely to be involved in, or witness to serious incidents. Many van operators are amongst those people who can often spend significant amounts of time on the road.

The average van driver isn’t likely to be indulging in street races, but the more time spent on the road the more likely it is that you could suffer from a lapse in concentration that could prove life changing.

There are steps which can be taken to avoid these types of situations which can be resolved when purchasing a van. The majority of modern vehicles these days offer a raft of safety systems/technology which can help minimise this particular risk. Equipment such as an infotainment system comes as standard in the majority of vehicles on the current market which is the best solution from you having to even touch your phone whilst in transit.

Vehicle safety systems such as; lane keep assist, speed limiters, pedestrian recognition systems, active cruise control, road sign recognition and autonomous braking can all help you to stay alert on the road. In some cases the technology will also intervene to warn you of hazards and even take steps to avoid accidents autonomously.

All these safety measures have been introduced for a reason and the new sentencing guidelines represent how serious dangerous and careless driving can be to yourself and other road users.